Registering system



May 11, 1954 P. H. BURN REGISTERING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 29', 1951 INVENTOR.

PHIL/P H BURN Patented May 11, 1954 UNITED STATEE i 'iENT GFFHCE REGISTERING SYSTEM Philip H. Burn, New York, N. Y.

Application December 29, 1951, Serial No. 264,105

11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to registering devices and more particularly to systems for operating indicating means in response to sensing means.

An object of the invention is to provide circuit means whereby indicating means may be operated in an ascending or descending order in accordance with the order in which a plurality of sensing means are actuated.

Another object of the invention is to provide circuit means whereby indicating means responsive to the actuation of a plurality of sensing means will be responsive only upon actuation of the sensing means in proper sequence.

A further object of the invention is to provide circuit means for the operation of indicating means in response to sequential actuation of sensing means in which the response of said indicating means will occur only after completion of a predetermined sequence of actuations of said sensing means.

Still another object of the invention is to provide circuit means for the operation of indicating means in an ascending and descending order only upon actuation of a plurality of sensing means in a predetermined sequence and only upon completion of said sequence of actuations.

While the present invention has wide application in a number of systems, it is particularly useful in counting devices of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 35,350, filed June 26, 1948, now Patent No. 2,644,150, of which this application is a continuation-in-part.

Fig. l is a schematic wiring diagram of one form of circuit embodying the principles of this invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic wiring diagram of a modified type of circuit; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a typical installation of devices using the present invention for counting the passage of vehicles moving along a traffic lane.

Broadly speaking the present invention contemplates the employment of a plurality of sonsing means, such as photo-electric cells, or physically-operated relays, or other well-known devices, which are disposed in predetermined relaionship to each other in such a manner that they will respond in sequence to the conditions which it is desired to observe. The sensing means, by virtue of opening or closing certain portions of the circuit to which they are connected, are enabled to operate indicating means in such a manner that indications occur only in response to full and complete actuation of the sensing means in their proper sequence.

In Fig. 1 there is shown an arrangement in accordance with the disclosure of my copending have the vehicle back out.

application Serial No. 35,359, of a system for counting vehicles as they enter or leave a parking area, the purpose of the system being to provide at all times an accurate count of the number of vehicles present within the This system includes a twin-beam photo-cell system employing a first electric lamp to constantly casting a beam across the entrance way of the parking area to a first photoelectric cell 5!; and, as long as this beam is uninterrupte it will be understood that a relay 62 may be operative to maintain its contacts open. Upon interruption of the beam between lamp iii} and photocell 5i, relay will be deenergized so that its armature may drop to complete a circuit. in like manner, a second lamp t l may be disposed to cast a continuous beam across the entrance-exit way to the parking area and upon a second photocell 55; and, as long as second beam is uninterrupted, a relay 58 may remain energized so as to keep its contacts open. The spacing between the two beams is preferably enough so as not to be simultaneously interrupted by an object which it is not desired to count, such as a person or a small group of persons, but this spacing should of course not exceed the minimum length of the object which it is desired to count, such as a vehicle entering Or leaving the parking area. It is thus expected that simultaneous operation of both beams will be necessary before a counting impulse may be derived, the order of interruption of the beams determine whether such counting impulses register the entrance or exit of a vehicle. In the form shown, the two I types of counting impulses are available for the operation of an indicating means, which ior example only is denoted by a differential counting mechanism 23, of conventional design, actuated by the operation of one or the other of solenoids l--2l and their associated index-ratcheting mechanisms.

The circuits utilizing the photocell operated solenoids 62-66 may be so interlocked as to pre vent the unnecessary registration of a count should a vehicle inadvertently interrupt one beam, only to back out and fail to int; :upt the other beam. Also, the circuits may provide a means for failing to register a count should both the beams be interrupted by a vehicle only to In other words, I prefer that the circuits associated with the relays $52-66 be so arranged that the in-count or out-count be derived only after a vehicle has interrupted a first beam, has then interrupted a 1' second beam, and has passed both beams to the point of permitting re-establishment of the second beam.

Each of the relays 6266 may be interlockingly associated with an interlocking relay 61-458, respectively. The relays 61-63 are each shown to include normally closed contacts 6'l'-68' and normally open contacts 61"-68". The contacts 61"-e8 are preferably of a type to make contact only during the movement of the contacts 61"-6i", that is, the contacts ?"68" in the form shown may only close for an intermediate and transiently occupied position, and these contacts are not closed during the steady-state condition of an energized or of a deenergized relay 61-68, as the case may be. As a further feature, holding coils Gil-4i; may be associated with the relays cl-63. When energized, holding coils Kitit may be sufiiciently strong to hold the relay contacts in operated position, but the holding coils tilill are of themselves preferably insumciently strong to raise or to operate the contacts of relays il'i-&8. To complete the circuits for relays 62-66, there may be a further normally open relay ll to be operated directly by the relay S2, and there may be another further normally open relay it to be operated directly by the relay lit. The contacts of the normally open relays H may be in series relation with the ratchet solenoid 2i and with the transiently wiping contact (58", and in like manner the contacts of normally open relay i2 may be in series with the ratchet solenoid l9 and with the transiently wiping contacts 61". For a purpose which will be clear, the nature of relays l'll'2 is preferably such that their contacts break relatively slowly or even with a slight delay, as compared with the break or drop-out action of relays 69-10.

In operation, let it be assumed that a vehicle is passing the two light beams from right to left in the sense of Fig. 1. The beam between lamp 6!! and photocell til will then be the first to be interrupted, and upon such interruption relay 62 will be cleenergized to close its contacts and thus simultaneously to close the contacts of relays H, to energize the holding coil H! for relay G8, to open the normally closed contacts 61 of relay 6?, and to cause contacts t?" transiently to wipe while raising the armature of contacts 6'!" to an upper (dotted) position. This wiping action will be understood to have produced no function, inasmuch as the circuit of contacts 61" will at the time have been open at the relay 72. Should the vehicle be backed up without breaking the beam of lamp 64, it will be understood that all relays will have been returned automatically to the positions shown, without registering or deriving a counting impluse or function.

As a next step in the operation of the counting device of Fig. 1, the beam of lamp 64 will be interrupted while the beam of the lamp 6!! remains interrupted. When both beams thus become interrupted, relay 66 will be deenergized so as simultaneously to close the contacts of relay 72 and to energize the holding coil 69 of relay 61; relay 6% will not be operated at this time, inasmuch as the circuit therefor will have been open at the contacts 6?. Here again, it will be noted that if the vehicle should be backed so as to reestablish both beams, all relays may re-- turn to the positions shown in Fig. 1 without registering a counting impulse.

As a third step in the operation, the rear end of the vehicle will pass the beam of lamp 6!! so that this beam may again impinge upon photocell B'l. Relay 62 may then be re-energlzed, but it will be noted that the holding coil 69 may still be operative to retain contacts 61' and 61" in their raised positions. This operation of relay 62 will be understood to have the further functions of deenergizing the holding coil 16 of relay t8, and of opening the contacts of relay H. Again it will be noted that should the vehicle be backed away from the counter at this third step in the operation thereof. no counting impulse will be derived.

The fourth and final step in the operation of my counter may occur when the vehicle completely passes the second light beam, so as to reactivate photocell t5 and thus to energize relay 6B. This operation may result in an immediate deenergization of the holding coil 69 so that, as the contacts 67 drop and brush, there may be a circuit completed to the counting or ratcheting solenoid 19. At the same time, energy to relay i2 will have been cut off but, due to the abovementioned slow-action or delay features which may be incorporated in the relay 72, the contacts of relay [2 are preferably not opened until after the contacts 6? of relay 6! have brushed to produce the described counting function.

By virtue of the complete electric symmetry of connections to the relays operated by both photocell circuits, it will be understood that a reverse order of interrupting the light beams may transiently complete a circuit through contacts 68" and the contacts of relay H so as to produce a. ratcheting or counting impulse for operation of solenoid 2|. This reverse order of light-beam interruption occur for a vehicle leaving the monitored parking area, and the generated impulse will be understood to produce an out-counting operation of solenoid 2|.

The modified form of circuit, shown in Fig.

' 2, includes-additional means for insuring accuracy in the actuation of the indicating means 23 and for preventing its false operation under circumstances whereby the photocells 6| and 65 may accidentally have the light from the sources GB and cut off sequentially but in which case it is not desired to secure an indication. In the use of the circuit as a vehicle counter it is possible that two pedestrians might pass in front of the light sources 60 and 64 in such a time sequence that their combined actions would be the equivalent of the cutting off of the light by a passing vehicle.

In order to prevent such false indications, a third sensing means may be employed, in the form of a floor switch it, which may be placed in the path of the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 3, at some position between the light source 60 and its photocell El, and light source 64 and its photocell 85. In certain applications of this registering device it would also be possible to substitute some other form of sensing device for the floor switch, or it might be desirable to use a third light source and photocell for this purpose.

In addition, the two principal sensing means which in the previously described embodiment included photocells 6i and 55 are provided with relays I? and It, respectively, to be operated in' response to cutting off of the light from sources 60 and M in the same way as in the case of the previously described relays 62 and 66. However, the relays of the present modification differ from the former in that they are each two normally open contacts instead of a single one.

The additional sensing means, such as the floor switch 15, is arranged in any well known manner to close a circuit between a relay I6 and the main power supply whenever this sensing means is responsive to an object to be registered by the other sensing means. It is to be noted that, whereas the single contact of relays 62 and 66 of the previously described circuit are always connected to one side of the main power supply, the contacts 19-80, and 8l-82 of relays I1 and 18 of the present modification are connected to this one side of the power supply only through the medium of a subsidiary circuit which includes relay 18.

In other respects, however, the closing of contact [9 establishes a condition in the circuit which is equivalent to the closing of the contact of relay 62 in the previous modification. The same thing is true of contact 8| as compared to previously described relay 66, except that in each case in the circuit of Fig. 2 the energization of those portions of the circuit which are controlled by contacts 19 and 8| will be dependent upon the closing of relay 16 which connects the contacts to the power supply.

As previously indicated, relay i8 is initially energized by the closing of the switch I5. If, in addition either one or both of the relays I1 and 18 have been energized by the operation of their associated photocells SI and 65, a circuit parallel to that established by switch 15 will be formed by virtue of the closing of either or both of contacts 80 and 82. Under this condition, as long as one or both of the beams of light falling upon photocells BI and 65 is interrupted, and one or both of contacts 80 and 82 are closed, the relay 18 will remain energized even if switch 15 should be subsequently opened. However, once the circuit established by contacts 80 and 82 is broken while switch 15 is open, relay 18 will not again become energized solely by closure of one or both of contacts 80 and 82 because these contacts can only connect with the power supply through the contact which is closed by relay 16 when it is first energized by closure of switch 1'5. In operation of the modified circuit of Fig. 2, let it again be assumed that a vehicle is passing the two light beams from right to left in the sense of Fig. 2. As before, when the beam between lamp 80 and photocell 61 is interrupted its associated relay ll will be deenergized and its contacts 19 and 80 will be closed. But at this point none of the other circuits will be affected until the vehicle passes over the floor switch 15, causing relay 16 to be energized to close the circuit between the main power supply and contacts 19 and 80. At this point holding coil will be energized, contact 61' will be opened,v and contacts 61 will be transiently connected as the armature is raised to its upper (dotted) position. The operation of these latter elements is similar to their operation during the first step as described in connection with the circuit of Fig. 1, and no indicating function will be produced. Similarly, if the vehicle should then back up to a point to the right of lamp 60 all relays would return to their original positions. If the vehicle were to pass just to the left of the floor switch, or back up to some point between the floor switch and lamp 80, the relays would remain in the positions just described because of the fact that when contact 80 was closed by the deenergization of relay 11 the circuit was established which maintains relay I6 energized and thus connects contact 19 with the power supply.

1 If the vehicle passes far enough to the left, the light from lamp (it will be interrupted in addition to the light from lamp 60. Relay 18 will then be deenergized, causing contacts 8! and 82 to close. The closing of contact 82 will have no effect, inasmuch as its circuit is already closed by contact 88. The closing of contact 8| will simultaneously energize holding coil 69 and close the contacts of relay l2; relay 88 will not be operated at this time, inasmuch as the circuit therefor will have been open at the contacts 61'. As before, if the vehicle should be backed so as to reestablish both beams of light, all relays may return to their original positions without performing any registering function.

As the vehicle passes further to the left the beam from lamp will again impinge on photocell BI to energize relay 11. While this will cause the deenergization of relay 6'1, the contacts 61' and 81" will remain in their upper position under the influence of holding coil 69, while holding coil I0, and relay II will be deeriergized. Furthermore, it should be noted that the opening of contact 80, when relay I! is energized, will have no effect because contact 82 will be closed so as to maintain the circuit established by relay 16; this will also be true even if the rear wheels of the vehicle have passed to a point between the floor switch and lamp 64. As in the previous instances, if the vehicle should back up completely to the right of lamp 80 no indicating function would have been performed by the circuit.

When the vehicle has passed completely to the left of lamp B4, relay 18 will again be energized to open contacts 8! and 82, thus deenergizing holding coil 69, and permitting contacts 61' and 81 to drop. The downward movement of contact 61 will create a transient connection between the contact of relay l2 and the solenoid l9, and while the relay [2 has been simultaneously deenergized at the same time, due to the delayed action of its contacts they will not open until the solenoid has been actuated sufficiently to indicate the passage of the vehicle.

As in the case of the circuit of Fig. 1, movement of a vehicle in a direction from left to right so as to interrupt the light beams in the reverse order will cause a transient circuit to be completed through contacts 68" and the contacts of relay H to energize solenoid 2l for performing another indicating function.

It will be appreciated, therefore, that the present invention is not limited for use in counting vehicles but is applicable to a variety of situations wherein it may be desired to provide registering or indicating functions in response to the presence of a plurality of objects.

a While the invention has been described in detail in a preferred form only, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a counting system of the character indicated, two spaced counting elements to be traversed, the spacing between said elements being less than the expected length of an object to be counted, first indicating means responsive to a first sequential traversal of both said elements and operative only upon travel past the second traversed of said elements, and second indicating means responsive to traversal of both said elements in the opposite sequential order and operative only upon travel past the then second traversed of said elements, whereby there may only be operation of either of said means upon a complete traversal of said elements in either of said directions.

2. A counting system according to claim 1, in which each of said spaced counting elements includes a lamp casting a beam of light for impingement upon a photoelectric cell.

3. In a counting system of the character indicated, two spaced counting elements to be traversed, the spacing between said elements being less than the expected length of an object to be counted, first relay means operated by one of said elements, and second relay means operated by the other of said elements, a first circuit to be partially completed upon operation of said first relay for completion upon operation of said second relay, and a second circuit to be partially completed upon operation of said second relay for completion upon operation of said first relay, for the purpose described.

4. In a registering system of the character indicated having a pair of spaced sensing means to be sequentially responsive to an object including, relay means for each of said sensing means, circuit means whereby each of said relay means may be energized when the respective sensing means is so responsive to an object, each of said relay means being normally connected to com plate a portion of said circuit means to permit energization of the other relay means and to break said portion of the circuit when energized, holding means for each of the relay means actuated when the other sensing means is so re sponsive to prevent reestablishment of said normal condition While the other sensing means is so responsive, each of. said relay means also having switching means to establish a respective circuit for registering means when released by the respective holding means, and delayed-action means to allow completion of the registering circuit, whereby respective circuits for registering means will be completed only on complete traversal of the sensing means by an object moving in the respective direction.

5. A system of the character defined in claim 4, having secondary sensing means disposed between said first-mentioned sensing means connected in the energizing circuit for said relay means to initially complete said circuit only when the secondary sensing means is. responsive to an object to be registered, and energizing means for the secondary sensing means connected in said circuit whereby said completed circuit for energizing the relay means may be thus maintained so long as a first-mentioned sensing means is responsive to an object.

6. In a registering system of the character indicated having a pair of spaced sensing means to be sequentially responsive to an object including, primary relay means and secondary delayedaction relay means for each of said sensing means, circuit means whereby the respective primary and secondary relay means may be energized when the respective sensing means is so responsive to an object, each of said primary relay means being normally connected to complete a portion of said circuit means to permit energization of the other of said primary relay means and to break said portion of the circuit when energized, holding means for each of the primary relay means actuated when the other sensing means is so responsive to prevent reestablishment of said normal condition while the other sensing means is so responsive, each of said primary relay means also having switching means connected in series with the secondary relay means of the other sensing means, whereby a respective transitory circuit for registering means 8 is completed only when the primary and secondary relay means of both sensing means have been sequentially energized and deener ized by complete traversal of said sensing means by an' object moving in the respective direction.

7. A system of the character defined in claim 6, having secondary sensing means disposed between said first-mentioned sensing means connected in the energizing circuit for said relay means to initially complete said circuit only when the secondary sensing means is responsive to an object to be registered, and energizing means for the secondary sensing means connected in said circuit whereby said completed circuit for energizing the relay means maybe thus maintained so long as a first-mentioned sensing: means is responsive to an object.

8. In a system of the character indicated having sensing means responsive to the movement of an object in a plurality of directions to register said movements, circuit means for said sensing means to actuate indicating means in accordance with the responsiveness secondary sensing means arranged to be responsive to the presence of the object to be indicated, and energizing circuit means for said first circuit means, said secondary sensing means being connected to said energizing circuit means to energize the first circuit means only when the secondary sensing means is so responsive and to maintain the first circuit means energized thereafter so long as the first-mentioned sensing means is so respons1ve.

9. In a system of the character indicated having sensing means responsive to the movement of an object in a plurality of directions to register said movements, a plurality of circuit connections for the sensing means to actuate indicating means in accordance with the responsiveness of the sensing means, secondary sensing means arranged to be responsive to the presence of the object to be indicated, energizing circuit means for the first-mentioned plurality of circuit connections, and relay means actuated by responsiveness of the secondary sensing means connected with said energizing circuit means to energize the first-mentioned plurality of circuit connections only when the secondary sensing means is so responsive and to maintain the first-mentioned plurality of circuit connections energized thereafter so long as the first-mentioned sensing means is so responsive.

10. In a system of the character indicated having sensing means responsive to the move ment of an object in a plurality of directions to register said movements, a plurality of circuit connections for the sensing means to actuate indicating means in accordance with the responsiveness of the sensing means, said circuit connections including relay means to complete a circuit to be energized, secondary sensing means disposed to be responsive to the presence of the object to be indicated, and energizing circuit means including relay means actuated by responsiveness of the secondary sensing means to energize the first-mentioned circuit connections only when the secondary sensing means is so responsive and to maintain the first-mentioned sensing means is so responsive.

11. In a system of the character indicated having a pair of spaced sensing means to be sequentially responsive to traversal of an object in opposite directions, circuit means for said sensing means to actuate means to register said movement in each direction only after traversal of the sensing means,

of both said sensing means in a single direction by the object, secondary sensing means disposed between said first-mentioned sensing means to be responsive to the object during said movement, energizing circuit means for the firstmentioned circuit means, and relay means actuated by responsiveness of the secondary sensing means connected with said energizing circuit -means to energize the first-mentioned circuit means only when the secondary sensing means is so responsive and to maintain the first-mentioned circuit means energized thereafter so long as one of the first-mentioned sensing means is so responsive.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,047,665 Beggs July 14, 1936 10 2,313,627 Cooper Mar. 9, 1943 

